Movie Review: Iron Man 3

It's incredibly rare that I enjoy a sequel to a film and it is even more uncommon for me to appreciate a third installment, but I honestly felt like Iron Man 3 was easily the best of the franchise. I loved that the story's focus was squarely back on Tony Stark and not just a mere set up for the big event that was The Avengers, it was expertly paced, the humor rarely missed its mark, and the writing and direction was smart, organic, and fresh. Of course, the visual effects and action sequences were as spectacular as I expected. Robert Downey Jr. was terrific, Guy Pearce portrayed his role incredibly well, which could've been overly cartoonish if handled by a less competent actor, but it was Gwyneth Paltrow who threw some punches of her own that got me all excited. Iron Man 3 wasn't perfect by any means, but it's a brilliant ending to the franchise - assuming there won't be an Iron Man 4. Enough said. 8.5